Media Release

Westpac Bank, together with the Federal Treasurer, the Honourable Wayne Swan, today launched a campaign recognising the unsung work of community treasurers across Australia.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of community groups and organisations in Australia rely on the unpaid labour of honorary treasurers.

Responsible for the financial wellbeing of their organisation, community treasurers often go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that community groups continue to meet their basic financial obligations.

To recognise their efforts, Westpac's CEO Gail Kelly and Mr Swan today launched the Westpac Community Treasurers' Awards which are searching for Australia's three most outstanding community treasurers.

Ms Kelly said that as Australia's first bank and company, Westpac had a long history of supporting the local communities in which it operated.

"In the same way community treasurers invest in their organisations, Westpac is proud to invest in the community through our employee involvement initiatives, community partnerships and our financial sustainability workshops," she said.

"Supporting the Westpac Community Treasurers' Award is an opportunity for us to recognise our community treasurers and thank them for their hard work."

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said he was delighted to launch the new Australian Community Treasurer's Awards.

"I want to recognise the terrific work of honorary treasurers who donate their time to enrich social causes, and I want to pay tribute to Westpac for supporting their hard work through the Westpac Community Treasurers' Awards," Mr Swan said.

Our Community CEO Rhonda Galbally congratulated Westpac on the Treasurers' Awards and praised its ongoing efforts to help improve the financial literacy of the community sector.

"Through the free Guide for Community Treasurers, its suite of tailored banking products, and support for the online Community Financial Centre, Westpac is making a significant contribution to improving the skills and capacities of the community sector in Australia," Dr Galbally said.

"There are more than 700,000 community groups in Australia, ranging from the really tiny groups with no staff and no formal structure meeting around a kitchen table, through the countless sports, arts, cultural, mutual support and community services groups, right through to the large national organisations such as Opera Australia and international NGOs such as Oxfam, Greenpeace, the Red Cross and Amnesty International.

"All of these groups rely on the work of a treasurer for their health and indeed for their very survival."

Entry forms are available by visiting www.ourcommunity.com.au/treasurersawards.

For further information on Westpac's support for the local community go to www.westpac.com.au.